The Fifth Madam's gracefully swaying figure had barely vanished at the end of the winding, secluded path when Mo Yuzhu's willow brows shot up, and she could not suppress a sharp, heavy snort.
Fifth Mother's utterly fawning tone was like a poisoned blade, instantly slicing open her proud heart. A scorching, nameless fury whooshed up from her chest.
As a Cultivator, Mo Yuzhu had keen hearing. The suggestive undertones in Fifth Mother's words, along with that deliberately lowered, affectedly tender voice, felt like countless fine needles pricking every inch of her body.
"I am at a critical juncture in my breakthrough. I shall take my leave." Her tone was cold and hard as ice. The moment she finished, she turned, her wide skirts whipping violently in the wind and stirring a fierce gust laden with indignation, as though she meant to tear apart the unpleasant atmosphere around her.
Mo Caihuan stared after Mo Yuzhu's hastily retreating figure with wide, lively eyes, first in astonishment, then turned her curious gaze toward Jing Wen.
Like a mischievous, crafty kitten, she tiptoed around in front of him, tilting her head this way and that as she examined him from top to bottom.
Watching her, Jing Wen could not help his lips curling upward. Amused, he asked, "What are you looking at?"
Mo Caihuan tilted her head, her gaze fixed on Jing Wen, and clicked her tongue. "Tsk, tsk. At first glance, you don't seem extraordinarily handsome.
"Why is Fifth Mother so attentive to you? Are you really some important person?"
At that, her eyes darted about, making her look just like a sly little fox. Grinning, she teased, "Could Fifth Mother have taken a fancy to you?
"Are you some sort of pretty boy?"
Mo Feng Wu's face went deathly pale at those words, as though a thunderbolt had struck her. She stumbled, nearly losing her footing.
With anxiety burning inside her, she hurriedly intervened. "Caihuan, stop talking nonsense!"
Then, her face full of guilt and a touch of fear, she bowed slightly to Jing Wen in apology. "Young master, Caihuan has always spoken without thinking. Please be magnanimous and do not take her words to heart."
Mo Caihuan stuck out her tongue. Realizing she had spoken out of turn, she flushed crimson across her fair cheeks.
Like a little deer that had misbehaved, she sneaked a sidelong glance at Jing Wen's reaction, then obediently stepped aside.
Seeing this, Mo Feng Wu hurriedly reached for the teapot, but her slender fingers trembled so badly with nerves that she nearly knocked it over.
To ease the awkward atmosphere, Mo Feng Wu moved with light, graceful steps, slowly coming to Jing Wen's side.
Her fingertips unconsciously rubbed the intricate embroidery on her cuff as she tried to calm the turmoil in her heart.
A faint smile rested on her lips, and her voice was as gentle as a breeze brushing willow fluff:
"Jia Yuan City's Lantern Festival is especially lively." She tilted her head slightly, her gaze falling on Jing Wen's face before quickly shifting away, as though she dared not look at him for long.
"If you have time, young master, when the festival comes, colorful lanterns hang throughout the city, lotus lanterns float on the river, and visitors weave through the streets and alleys. There are also lion dances, acrobatics, lantern riddles..."
Jing Wen's lips curved slightly as he listened. He nodded. "That does sound interesting."
Mo Caihuan had been idly kicking pebbles along the path. At his words, she immediately drew closer and chimed in with a grin. "More than interesting! In past years, plenty of young masters and ladies from prominent families used lantern viewing as a chance to size up potential matches!"
Her eyes shifted, and she deliberately drew out her words. "Second Sister received several lanterns last year-"
"Caihuan!" The tips of Mo Feng Wu's ears reddened as she softly reproached her, then looked at Jing Wen with a hint of apology. "My younger sister is mischievous. Please forgive her, young master."
Jing Wen listened with interest, his gaze lingering on Mo Feng Wu.
He found her nervousness and earnest efforts rather amusing. Leaning forward slightly, he asked with a smile, "It certainly sounds interesting. Are there any particular customs to these lantern riddles?"
Mo Feng Wu froze, not expecting Jing Wen to ask her a question so suddenly.
She instinctively bit her lower lip, then said after a moment's thought, "The riddles mostly concern poetry and classical allusions.
"Participants must answer within a set time, and those who answer correctly receive exquisite gifts prepared by the shopkeepers.
"Some riddles are so cleverly devised that everyone racks their brains. You often see a crowd gathered around a lantern, arguing until their faces and ears turn red."
Mo Caihuan had been bored at their side, but the mention of lantern riddles instantly made her eyes light up.
She bounced over to them and said eagerly, "I've tried solving lantern riddles too! Once, I even won a beautiful lantern!
"But some of those riddles are really difficult. I could rack my brains to pieces and still not work them out."
Looking at Mo Caihuan's lively manner, Mo Feng Wu could not help laughing, and her nervousness was swept away.
She continued, "During the Lantern Festival, there are also ceremonies to pray for blessings.
"People write their wishes on lanterns and set them afloat on the river, hoping to receive the gods' protection.
"They say the more sincere your wish is, the more likely it is to come true."
Listening intently, Jing Wen raised his teacup and took a small sip. "In that case, this Lantern Festival is not only entertaining, but also steeped in a rich cultural heritage."
Mo Feng Wu nodded slightly, a glimmer of delight flashing in her eyes. "You are quite right, young master.
"Our forebears in Jia Yuan City left us these traditions in the hope that future generations could carry on their culture amid the festivities and cherish their lives in the present."
The three took turns speaking, their conversation growing increasingly animated.
Mo Feng Wu relaxed completely as well, no longer as reserved as she had been at first.
Before they knew it, night had quietly enveloped the entire Mo Residence like an immense sheet of black silk.
Silvery moonlight filtered through the lush branches and leaves, scattering dappled light and shadow and lending the courtyard a touch of mystery.
Mo Feng Wu and Mo Caihuan exchanged a glance, then rose in unspoken agreement to escort Jing Wen back to his quarters.
Along the way, Mo Caihuan bounded ahead like a cheerful little deer.
Suddenly, she stopped, turned her head, and hit upon an idea.
Her eyes instantly reddened, and bean-sized tears swam in them like floodwaters about to burst through a dike.
She hurried over to Jing Wen, tugged his sleeve, and pleaded in a sweet, coaxing voice, "Young master, we sisters have kept you company all day. Don't we deserve even a keepsake?"
As she spoke, tears truly began rolling down her face, wetting her cheeks.
Jing Wen raised an eyebrow.
The girl tugged at his sleeve with just the right amount of force, enough to keep from annoying him while making the fabric frame her slender wrist perfectly.
Such a technique seemed as though it had been carefully rehearsed a thousand times.
Following behind them, Mo Feng Wu felt both exasperated and amused at Mo Caihuan's antics.
Yet were her own thoughts not just as tangled as a skein of knotted hemp?
Fifth Mother had not explained Jing Wen's identity earlier, merely stressing again and again that he was their father's honored guest.
Recalling how Fifth Mother had been so humble before Jing Wen that she had bordered on fawning, even going so far as to offer herself to his bed, the exceptionally clever Mo Feng Wu understood after only a little thought.
Fifth Mother knew perfectly well that Jing Wen was their father's honored guest, yet still dared to behave that way. She must have had their father's tacit approval.
This led Mo Feng Wu to surmise that this mysterious honored guest was most likely a Cultivator.
She raised her eyes and saw Jing Wen walking ahead with his hands behind his back, his figure straight and tall.
Though he could not be called handsome, he exuded a distinctive air, steady and profound, with composure evident in every movement.
He was also close to her own age. An unfamiliar affection quietly blossomed in Mo Feng Wu's heart, stirring the waters of her maiden feelings.
Even the matter of serving him in bed, which Fifth Mother had mentioned, no longer seemed quite so difficult to accept.
Yet Mo Feng Wu was naturally quiet and ladylike. This bold thought that overstepped all bounds weighed on her like a heavy boulder, leaving her almost unable to breathe.
Her cheeks burned as though scorched by fire. Under cover of the moonlight, she stole several glances at Jing Wen, afraid he might see through her thoughts.
Her hands unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes, crumpling the fabric embroidered with exquisite mandarin ducks until her fingertips whitened from the pressure.
She could distinctly feel her heart pounding like thunder, like a frightened little deer charging wildly about inside her chest.
As though sensing something, Jing Wen cast an unobtrusive glance at Mo Feng Wu.
Looking at these two girls, so different in temperament yet both innocent and charming, he was quite satisfied with the time they had spent together that day.
Everyone's thoughts lay bare before his eyes.
Yet his expression remained calm, his eyes deep as an abyss, with not a ripple stirred by the suggestive atmosphere.
Though these two girls were pretty and likable, in Jing Wen's eyes they were merely pleasant.
He knew full well that he was only a Qi Refining Stage Cultivator, and the Cultivation World was cruel beyond imagination.
Countless Cultivators with cultivation like his had died at mortal hands while traveling to gain experience, whether through infatuation with beauty or a moment's carelessness.
Those lessons written in blood rang constantly in his ears like warning bells.
Jing Wen knew that in this Cultivation World, where the strong devoured the weak, every step was like treading on thin ice. He could never risk himself for a merely "pleasant" woman; even the slightest danger could plunge him into eternal ruin.
After a moment's thought, Jing Wen reached into his robes and took two exquisite little jade bottles from his storage pouch.
He handed one bottle each to Mo Caihuan and Mo Feng Wu, a warm smile on his face as he said gently, "These contain Qi-Blood Pills. They will be of great benefit in strengthening your bodies.
"After taking them, you will not only become healthier, but your constitutions will also improve to some degree.
"Tomorrow, I will begin cultivating in seclusion. You need not come during that time."
Mo Caihuan's eyes lit up, and she eagerly accepted the jade bottle.
She opened the stopper, and a rich medicinal fragrance instantly spread through the air.
She inhaled deeply, her little face flushed with excitement as she bounced on the spot. "Wow, Qi-Blood Pills! I've long heard how miraculous these pills are. Thank you, young master!"
As she spoke, she carefully tucked the jade bottle close against her body, afraid someone might snatch it away.
Mo Feng Wu, however, looked somewhat disappointed. She slowly accepted the jade bottle, her voice carrying a trace of dejection she could not hide. "Thank you for bestowing this medicine, young master."
The night breeze brushed past, scattering the words she had left unspoken.
When Jing Wen's figure disappeared behind the door, Mo Feng Wu remained standing where she was, the jade bottle in her hand gradually taking on her warmth.
Mo Caihuan's cheerful laughter sounded beside her, only making the emptiness in her heart grow deeper.
A clear tear slipped down silently and struck the jade bottle, splashing into tiny droplets.
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